Charlotte QA Job Market Intel

Job-Intel has helped 100+ job seekers land interviews. The counter stopped. The mission didn’t💞

Ryan Rossbach

I was able to pivot my career and land an AI-driven testing role through this community. Great experience all around.

Ryan Rossbach, Automation Engineer @ LoopQA

Straight From the Source

A firsthand read on Charlotte QA hiring – from open roles and recruiter activity to interview trends, team expectations, and what candidates are hearing.

  • LoopQA

    QA Automation Engineer
    Fulltime, 90-95K + benefits/pto
    Hybrid Tues/Wed in Charlotte, NC
    Ben Fellows, CEO (technical)

    Automation QA Engineer (Playwright / AI-Assisted Testing)

    We build AI infrastructure that companies actually use. Not demos. Not decks. Working systems that change how teams operate. This role exists because we need test coverage that keeps pace with AI-accelerated development, and we need someone who will raise the team’s automation floor permanently, not just write tests for the next sprint.

    What you will own

    • Design, build, and maintain automated test suites using Playwright across UI and API layers.
    • Own end-to-end coverage strategy: from test design through CI integration and failure triage.
    • Use AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Cursor, or equivalent) as a core part of your workflow to ship more output per sprint, not as an occasional shortcut.
    • Debug and trace failures across API responses, database state, and application logic without waiting to be handed a ticket.
    • Set a higher standard for the team by shipping work others can learn from. This is not a coaching role. The influence is in the output.

    What we need you to bring

    • Production experience writing automated tests in Playwright. Not “familiar with.” Shipped it.
    • API testing depth: you can write, debug, and trace requests end-to-end.
    • Comfort using AI tools (LLM-based coding assistants, AI-powered debugging) as everyday instruments, not novelties.
    • Full-stack exposure sufficient to read and interrogate application code when a test fails.
    • Ability to triage a failure, determine root cause, and distinguish a test bug from an application bug without escalating.

    How we evaluate

    The technical assessment includes a Playwright automation exercise, an API and database debug problem, and open use of AI tools throughout. Candidates who use AI well during the eval score higher, not lower. We want to see how you actually work.

    **Update 4/22- These roles are closed**

    ,

  • QA Market Watch: April 2026

    Hiring Pipeline Intelligence

    Sharing a quick snapshot from recent conversations across QA hiring in the Charlotte market. This is based on candidate interviews, recruiter outreach, and staffing-side signals I’m hearing week to week.

    Charlotte market activity
    Multiple candidates recently interview for QA roles at companies: Ben AI, Hemmings, CPI Security, Fastbreak AI, LoopQA, Bank of America, Ally Financial, Paylocity, Vanguard, Digital Kings Networking, Charter, and Wells Fargo, etc.

    Staffing + pipeline signals
    I’m hearing early-stage outreach from staffing partners tied to QA testing work at SMBC.
    I expect to continue to see roles come out from Ally Financial.

    Open reqs online in the last couple weeks:
    Selective Insurance, Total Quality Logistics, AssetMark and The Hartford currently show openings. If you’ve interviewed at any of these recently, I’d genuinely be interested in hearing about your feedback and what the process was like. Always helpful to compare notes, especially when job postings and actual interview activity don’t always match.

  • Ovidius AI

    AI QA Engineer

    Ovidius is Ben AI’s custom solution arm, offering advisory services and end-to-end custom builds. They have an international presence with a team right here in Charlotte.

    They were hiring an AI QA Automation Engineer to help redefine test automation in an AI-first environment: a fully remote, full-cycle testing role using tools like n8n and Claude Code to build automated, AI-assisted QA workflows that move faster and smarter than traditional frameworks.

    Update: This one was filled a month back, but it’s a great example of the type of forward-thinking roles we’re seeing come through. If this kind of work excites you, keep an eye on Ovidius, highly recommend checking them out.

    ,

  • Staffing Reps

    Below is a curated list of local recruiters I either know personally and recommend, or who are active in my network and have been identified through candidate outreach related to IT/QA roles.

    • Ryan @ LoopQA: This is my squad: an extremely sharp group of individuals running a modern quality assurance practice, with a focus on AI-forward approaches
    • Jim@TEKsystems: I recruited QA for Jim during my TEK days. Great contact.
    • Mike @ Heitmeyer Consulting: Senior AE, overseeing fs clients. Great contact.
    • Evan@ Robert Half: I’ve worked with him. Director level, but rolls up his sleeves and is well-connected. Great contact.
    • Wes @ Randstad: Director level but would be the guy to help or point you in the right direction of the recruiter who could
    • Lilly @ Beacon Hill
    • Shriram @ Dexian: My buddy just started a new sdet gig at the bank through this contact at Dexian
    • Olivia @ Insight Global
    • Harrison @ AccurePartners
    • Andrew @ Experis: I worked with Andrew at Disys. Oversees a book of business for Experis. Great contact.
    • Selah @ Optomi: My friend started an automation role at Ally through Optomi 3/30
    • Justin @ Kavaliro
    • Mack @ Brookesource
    • Brian @ PDS
    • Liv @ Axiom Path (has been actively hiring QE’s)

    Last Updated: 5/28/26

  • Fastbreak AI

    QA Automation Engineer

    I caught a repost from TA Max Wilkins. Check out the link below, they have an engineer opening. Candidates in my network have been interviewing over the last few weeks. Looks like a fantastic, growing firm

    Tip: I’ve heard these folks are big sports fans… predictable 🙂

    Update 4/22: Swapped intros with Max. Great guy. Looks like they’re working on some exciting initatives. Actively hiring. Highly recommend flagging the company page

    Disclaimer: I don’t manage or represent this role and am simply tracking market activity

    ,

  • DICK’S Sporting Goods

    SDET Lead

    Scottie Crump posted a remote opening on Li 3 weeks ago. Suggest checking out the gig. This was the post:
    This is a senior+ leadership role for someone who:
    ✅ Has deep expertise in test automation (AI-driven, Playwright, CI/CD pipelines)
    ✅ Is fluent in languages such as Java, TypeScript, or Python for automation development
    ✅ Has hands-on experience with AI-powered testing tools and workflows
    ✅ Loves mentoring engineers and elevating team quality culture

    Pay range: $95,200 – $158,800 + full benefits

    🔗 Apply here → https://lnkd.in/eSx2t-wD

    • Update: Req on hold 4/10. Review + Interviews

    **I do not oversee or control this role. I provide updates as I hear it**

What People Are Saying

In an employer-driven market, it’s rare to find a resource that combines hiring insight with real candidate experiences. Highly recommend InsitePeek as a valuable source of market intelligence.

Jonathan Hofler
Senior AI Augmented QA Engineer
Chris Bettini

InsitePeek provides credible, high-signal insight into the Charlotte job market; valuable information for the community

Chris Bettini

Head of Portfolio Analytics Product Management

John Dye

I’ve mentored Jaclyn for years and have watched her grow into a true recruiting SME. She’s built a strong resource for the Charlotte engineering community, especially around quality engineering, hiring, and industry insights.

John Dye

Hands-On Platform Engineering Leader

Deepak Nagabhushanam

This is a fantastic site for staying up to date on the Quality Engineering market, from hiring trends to evolving skill demands. It keeps you grounded in what teams are actually prioritizing so you can stay ahead of where the industry is headed.

Deepak Nagabhushanam

Technical Director, R&D Portfolio Lead

Austin Meadows

I’ve worked with Jaclyn for years. Exceptional recruiter with a great understanding of the market. InsitePeek is a valuable source of insight covering everything from hiring activity to real candidate experiences, and helping professionals better navigate and control the interview process.

Austin Meadows

Lead Software Engineer

Krista Strzeszkowski

InsitePeek has helped me land conversations and interviews, while also providing insight into testing trends and helping me prepare more effectively for the interview process.

Krista Strzeszkowski

Senior QA

Ben Fellows

I work closely with engineering teams in Charlotte on hiring and running hands-on AI-driven workshops to help standardize and optimize QA practices. It’s great to see a platform surfacing real hiring and talent movement in motion.

Ben Fellows

Founder & CEO of LoopQA, AI-Driven QA and Automation Leader

Will Rauddi

A unique resource for the Charlotte tech and business community filled with smart insights and the kind of information you don’t find anywhere else.

Will Rauddi

Engineering Leader

Steven Boucher

What a great hub for real market insight and genuine community connection…I find myself coming back for the blogs.

Steven Boucher

Senior Automation Engineer

Natalie Brennan

Jaclyn’s been in the Charlotte tech scene for a long time. Always appreciate how she shares what she’s seeing and helps keep the community informed in a market like this.

Natalie Brennan

Senior QA Engineer, Automation & AI Initiatives